laser distance measurement by using phase shifted method

Hi, I wonder if any of you guys have seen or have some experience in laser distance measurement by using phase shift method? i would like to build a circuit to perform the measurement and display it on LCD, the measurement distance is 1 - 10 meter and the just forget about the accuracy and resolutions... i am totally stuck and confuse now, can any one give me some advice / idea / or anything to help me out?

thanks alot

Is it even possible for a hobbyist? From my understanding it's not very much below the level of doing lightspeed time-of-flight distance measurements.

Radar is difficult enough for a hobbiest/experimenter. Ladar is on the right fringe. Laser distance sensing via phase shift is far left fringe. (not practical)

the phase shift would have to very great given the wavelengths involved

Sounds like you are describing an interferometer.